Hoisting apparatus for well rig



G. L LooMls Jan. 1s, 1966 1N VEN TOR. aa/W5 L K` y, fQf/v/v .e v V riww ky l' l' Jan. 1s, 1966 G, L, moms 3,229,960

HOISTING APPARATUS FOR WELL RIG Original Filed Aug. 20, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR. 529m/ aM/s United States Patent O 3,229,960 HOISTING APPARATUS FOR WELL RIG Glenn L. Loomis, Pasadena, Tex.; Jean D. Loomis, executrix of said Glenn L. Loomis, deceased, assignor to Jean D. Loomis Original application Aug. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 217,791, now Patent No. 3,193,015, dated July 6, 1965. Divided and this application Mar. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 360,157 4 Claims. (Cl. 254-135) This application is a division of my copending applica` tion, Serial No. 217,791, filed August 20, 1962, and now Patent No. 3,193,015.

The present invention relates to a connect and disconnect apparatus for tools insertable into Well tubing or the like, and, more particularly, to an automatic connect and disconnect apparatus for use with testing tools used in testing stands of well tubing as the well tubing is installed in oil and gas wells or the like.

In my prior United States Patent No. 2,731,827, issued January 24, 1956, a tool for testing well tubing is disclosed as Well as a procedure for installing the well tubing in oil and gas wells. The procedure disclosed in the aforementioned patent, which is generally used today for assembling and installing Well tubing in oil and gas wells, includes joining together a multiplicity of tubing sections and placing these sections or stands, as they are generally referred to, in a generally upright position in a rack adjacent the dern'ck. This is done in order to save time during the actual tubing installation, as the stands may be joined together more rapidly than is the case when one tubing section is installed at a time. A well derrick is usually provided with a platform or monkeyboard near the top thereof about fifty to seventy-live feet or higher above the derrick lfloor on which a crew member is stationed. The crew member, at this position, latches the conventional elevator device onto the upper end of an upright stand and the stand is then hoisted into position for attachment of its other end to a previously-run stand.

The connections between two stands are usually threaded connections or threaded collar joints although they may `be welded to one another. Each connection, as well as the length of the stand, must be tested for leaks at least at pressures which the well tubing will encounter when lowered Within the well. In the hydrostatic testing of the stand and its threaded connections to another stand, a test tool of sufficient length is utilized to encompass the entire stand, and usually such test tool is left suspended within the tubing string after the test, as shown in the prior United States Patent No. 2,610,691, issued September 16, 1952, to Berry, or United States Patent No. 2,652,717, issued September 22, 1953, to Bush and Collet, and then the string is lowered down in the well bore prior to the attachment of another stand. Heretofore, a wire line grapple was lowered through the newly-attached stand to engage the testing tool so that the same may be pulled upwardly into the newly-attached stand until its upper packer is near the top of the same. With the test tool in this position, hydraulic pressure is applied, and the testing operation is performed, this operation being performed above the floor level of the derrick and above the usual slip-holding devices which engage the previously-run stand.

It is desirable to test a newly-attached stand and its joint above the derrick oor level from a safety standpoint because, if there is a failure of the tubing or a failure of the threaded coupling, the entire tubing string will not be dropped into the Well bore but is retained by the slip-holding device. Also, testing above the iioor of the derrick and above the slip-holding device eliminates an expensive shing job caused by the tubing string being dropped and also eliminates the danger of rapid agitation of the weighting fluid and the resultant blowout of the Well.

Ancillary to the above, it is more efficient to test a stand and its threaded joints above the derrick door as the testing crew member can make a visual test as well as a test determined by the drop of pressure on a pressure gauge. Oftentimes, small leaks which are detrimental in high pressure gas wells are diiicult to locate by means of a pressure drop and can only be located by use of visual means. l

In addition to the above, it is a further advantage to test well tubing above the holding slips, as Wells are usually loaded with a heavy viscous mud for creating suilicient hy. drostatic head to overcome well pressure at the producing level. If testing below the Well surface, this heavy mud oftentimes mixes with testing uid and prevents a true test, insomuch as the nature and viscosity of the mud will stop a leak which would otherwise appear with clear water or other fluids.

Although testing has been accomplished heretofore above the floor of the derrick, there have been many dif fculties encountered in performance of the operation. One of the principal difliculties arises from the fact that the top of the stand to be tested, after it has been hoisted into position and threaded onto a previously-installed stand, is above and out of reach of the man on the monkeyboar even though the monkeyboard may be positioned upwardly in the derricktifty feet or more above the derrick floor. In order that the Wire line grapple may be disconnected from the test tool after it has been raised in the stand to be tested and the pressure lines attached to the top of the test tools, it is necessary for the crew man to -unbuckle his safety belt and climb up the derrick and swing out to disconnect the grapple and connect the pressure lines.

Oftentirnes, it is necessary to place a second derrick man on the monkeyboard to perform this operation and, at best, this is a very hazardous operation as it is done a considerable distance above the monkeyboard oor. During nighttime and inclement weather, it is also impossible to accomplish, and oftentimes results in a delay in completion of a well.

Another difficulty in the prior procedure of testing wells is due to the fact that the hoisting sheaves and hooks used on modern well rigs are massive and require considerable space in the derrick. Heretofore, a weight such as a rigid steel bar several feet long has been attached to the top of the wire line grapple in order to counterbalance the Weight of the test tool hoisting cable which runs over a pulley attached near the top of the derrick. The grapple with the Weight bar was inserted by the derrick man inthe tubing stand before the elevator was latched, but when the stand was attached to the tubing string, the derrick man had to unlatch the elevator in order that the grapple and lbar could be withdrawn to be disconnected. In other words, the elevator was unlatched and pulled to one side out of the way so that the weight bar and the grapple could be withdrawn and the grapple disconnected. After the test is completed, the elevator had to be relatched to the stand; and, as will now be evident, such operation consumed additional time and was a hazard to the derrick man working on the monkeyboard An important object of the present invention is to provide an automatic connect and disconnect apparatus for use with tools insertable into the Well, the apparatus obviating dangers to personnel as well as reducing the time for completion of the well.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an automatic connect and disconnect apparatus for tools insertable in the well tubing and to which uid under pressure is flowed, the apparatus providing means for automatically connecting the iluid pressure supply to the tool. Ancillary to the immediately preceding object, it is a further object to provide such apparatus for use with testing tools.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic connect and disconnect apparatus which may be operated by remote control in the will of the derrick man stationed on the monkeyboard or at the derrick floor, the` apparatus providing means for remotely disconnecting the grappling hooks from a tool within a stand of well tubing, and remote controlling operation of a tool'in the well tubing.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved grappling device for inserting into a stand to engage a tool or the like, the grappling apparatus being `provided with a flexible weight insertable into the well tubing and capable of being deflected past the traveling block in order that the elevator does not have to be disconnected.

Ancillary to the immediately preceding object, it is a furtherobject of the present invention to provide a jointed weight bar capable of insertion into a tubing stand and also capable of deviating from its axis so that it Ican pass over the traveling block or hoisting sheave as it is being withdrawnfrom the stand.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an automatic connect and disconnect apparatus for test tools for oil and gas Wells, the apparatus being generally supported on the end of stand of well pipe and .capable of being connected to a test tool, the stand being rotatable relative the apparatus and tool connected thereto.

Throughout the specification, the invention will be described in connection with its use with an oil or gas well testing tool, but, of course, could be used on any tool used within well tubing for various other treatments of the same such as a tubing leak repair tool, a cement tool, a blowout tool, or the like.

The above objects, as well as other objects and advantages of the present invention, will appear more fully in the following specification, claims and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic, perspective view showing the upper portion of a derrick and illustrating the present invention attached to the upper end of a stand of well tubing;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of the jointed weight bars or flexible weight;

e FIGURES is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical, sectional view of the automatic connect and disconnect apparatus and illustrating the same positioned on the upper end of a stand of well tubing and further illustrating the grappling hooks elevating a test tool to a position for accomplishing a test of the stand;

. FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5,-5 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like character and reference numerals represent like or similar parts, the numeral generally represents a typical derrick used in completion of oil and gas wells. Such a derrick 10 may be a hundred feet or more in height and includes, at its upper end, a hoisting sheave 12 commonly known in the industry as a crown block, the hoisting sheave 12 being suitably supported on a frame structure 14. Suspended below the hoisting sheave 12 by means of hoisting cables 16 which pass over the hoisting sheave, is a vertically movable hoisting sheave 18 Vknown in the industry as a traveling block. The hoisting sheave 18 is massive in size and supports the usual elevator generally designated at 20, the elevator being capable of detachably clamping to the end of a stand S of well tubing for elevating the same from a rack (not shown) and positioning the same in axial alignment with a previously-run stand of Well tubing so that it may be threaded or suitably secured to the previously-run stand. of .Well tubing,

A platform 22 is provided on the derrickat an ele,- vation above the ioor of they derrick, the platform being provided for the derrick man who connects and disconnects the elevator 20 from a stand S. The platform 22` same on a racked stand. Then the derrick man swings the stand back to a position Where it is longitudinally aligned with the tubing string, and in order to do this, the elevator 20 must be hoisted by the traveling block 18 and the upper end of the stand will then be .out of reach of the derrick man. However, the lower end of the stand is in position adjacent the upper end of a previouslyrun stand which has been lowered into the well to a position where its upper end is above the `usual holding slips. With `the stand S in the axially aligned position with the well tubing string, the stand S is then threaded onto the previously-run stand and, after the coupling operation is completed, the usual testing of the threaded joint, as well as the length of the stand, is accomplished above the holding slips. If there is any failure either in the threaded joint or coupling or in the length `of the stand, the previously-run stands of the tubing ,string will not fall down into the well. Once the test has been made, and it has been found that the coupling joint as well as the length of stand is satisfactory, the well tub` ing string is lowered until the last tested stand has its upper end immediately above the holding slips.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, which discloses a vertical section through a portion of the automatic connect and disconnect apparatus generally designated at 24, it will be noted that such apparatus includes a body portion 26 which is provided with a downwardly-facing annular collar 28 threaded exteriorly as indicated at 30. The body portion 26 is generally of greater diameter than the diami eter of the stand S and is provided with a bore-32 exi tending therethrough. Carried within the collar4 30 is a thrust bearing assembly 34 having a ring `member 36 l for engaging the upper end of the stand S at 38. Threaded onto the threads 30 of collar 28, is an annular guide sleeve 40 having an inside diameter greater than the outside diameter of the stand S, the sleeve 40 having its lower end tapered as indicated at 42, and, thus, providing a guide i when the apparatus 24 is placed over the end .of a stand. An upwardly-extending annular collar 44 is provided on the body` portion 26, the collar 44 being exteriorly threaded as indicated at 46,` and receiving the lower end of a cylinder 48. The cylinder 48 is provided with a bore 50 in its upper end-|or head 51 through which extends a hollow piston 52 lhaving a piston head 54. The piston head 54 is provided with suitable piston rings 56 for engaging the interior walls of the cylinder 48, while O-rings 55 are provided in the cylinder head 51 for engaging the` exterior Walls of the hollow piston. A lateral port 58 in the wall of the cylinder 48 has connected thereto a conduit 60 through which a fluid under pressure can `be flowed from a suitable source of iluid pressure 61 to the area beneath the piston head 54 so as to extend the piston downwardly within the chamber of the cylinder 58.L A .portion of the hollow piston 52 extends tout of the cylinder 48 and is interiorly threaded as indicated at 62. A ring nut 64 having a center bore 66 is threaded into the end of the piston S2 and `a spring 68 interposed between the head of nut 64 and the cylinder 48 normally causes the piston to assume a retracted position.

The lower end of grappling means generally indicated at extends into the hollow piston 52 as best shown in FIGURE 3. The grappling means 70 includes a cage member 72 having ring 74 at. its lower .end from which` extend oppositely-disposed side members 76 and 78 respectively. Supported within the cage member by means of a pivot pin 80 are a pair of grappling hooks 82 which are spring-urged to a grappling position by means of leaf springs 84. The leaf springs 84 t into suitable slots in the upper ends of the grappling hooks 82, the other ends of the springs 84 being xedly secured by means of screws 86 to the stem portion 88 of the grappling means. The maximum exterior diameter of the cage 72 is less than the diameters of the bore 32 in the body portion 26 as the grappling means 70 must be capable of being lowered vertically through the body portion 26 down into the stand S.

The ring nut 64 is provided on its stem 65 with a camming surface 67. When the piston 52 is extended, the camming surface 67 of ring nut 64 engages the leaf springs 84 to compress the same and cause the hooks 82 to move to the dotted line release position 83 as shown in FIG- URE 3.

The stem portion 88 as shown in FIGURE 1, is provided with a hook 90 at its upper end to which is connected a plurality of bars 92. Each bar 92 is jointed to another bar 92 so that it can be pivoted with respect thereto. As shown in FIGURE 2, the lbars 92 may be connected by means of links 94. The uppermost bar 92 is connected to a hoisting cable 96 which extends over a pulley or sheave 100 supported from the frame structure 14 on the upper end of the derrick 10. The hoisting cable 96 extends downwardly to a suitable hoisting drum 102 carried either on the oor of the derrick as schematically shown in FIGURE l, or on the platform 22 if so desired. As will now be apparent, the Short sections of bars 92 connected to each other provide a exible weight which can be deviated from the axis of the stand so that it can pass by the hoisting sheave or traveling block 18 when in the position shown in FIGURE l. The bars 92 are usually on the order of seven feet in length and have a combined weight to substantially counterbalance the weight of the hoisting cable 96 when the grappling means 70 is in its uppermost position. In other words, the counter weight made up by the short bars 92 is necessary in order to counterbalance the weight of the length of hoisting cable 96 between the sheave 100 and the hoisting drum 102, otherwise, the grappling means 70 might be pulled completely out of the stand and over top of the sheave 100. The elongated bars 92 are substantially circular in cross section and have a maximum diameter less than the minimum diameter of the bore 32 in body portion 26, as well as the diameter of the stand S as the bars pass through the bore 32 into the stand S when it is desired to grapple onto a tool supported in a previously-run stand.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the grappling means 70 is illustrated hooked onto the end of a desired tool generally indicated by the numeral 106. The tool 106 is provided with the usual stem 108 having a neck 110 under which the tongs of the grappling hooks 82 engage. Tool 106 may be a testing tool of the type disclosed in my prior United States Patents Nos. 2,731,827, issued January 4, 1956; 2,807,955, issued October 1, 1957; or 2,841,007, issued July 1, 1958. Such tools lusually include spaced packers mounted on a body, one being shown at 108, and at least one uid passageway through the tool opening to the area between the packers. After the packers are expanded into sealing engagement with the interior wall lof the stand to form spaced barriers therein, uid under pressure is applied through the passageway and discharged externally of the tool to the annular space be. tween the packers at a predetermined pressure in order to test the stand and the coupling joint for leaks.

While the invention is being described in connection with a testing tool for oil or gas well ow tubing, it is appreciated that any tool insertable into well tubing and used for supplying a fluid to the well to treat the same may be employed.

In the partcular environment shown, the test tool 106 is provided with a reduced neck 110 which can lit up into the bore 32. The neck 110 is provided with an annular groove 112, and O-rings 114 provided on either side of the gnoove 112 seal off the same. The tool 106 is provided with at least one iluid passageway 116 which opens in a port 118 within the groove 112. Body portion 26 is provided with a lateral passageway 120 which opens in the bore 32 at a position between the barriers formed by the O-rings 114. A conduit 124 is connected to the passageway and extends to a suitable source of uid pressure 126. When the tool 106 has been moved by the grappling means 70 to the position shown in FIGURE 3, fluid under pressure is flowed from the source 126 through the conduit or line 124 to the tool, and the packers 108 are expanded to form spaced barriers in the stand, and then the uid is applied to the areas between the spaced barriers to test the stand for leaks.

The operation of the apparatus of the present invention may be described -briey as follows. I'he derrick man is stationed on the platform 22, and,`when it is desired to add :another stand to the string of well tubing, the derrick man swings the elevator 20 over to a position beside the derrick and latches the same ontio the upper end of a racked stand. At the time the derrick man latches the elevator onto the stand S, the automatic connect apparatus 10 is placed over the top of the stand as shown in FIGURE 3. The stand S with the automatic connect and disconnect apparatus is then elevated by the driller and swung back into axial alignment to a previously-run stand which has been lowered into the well with its upper end positioned immediately above the usual holding slips. With the stand S in a position alinged with the previously-run stand, the automatic connect and disconnect apparatus 10, as well as the point where the elevators 20 are attached to the stand, are at a position out of reach of the derrick man on the platform 22. However, the stand S can be threaded onto the previously-run stand, as the thrust bearing 34 interposed between the body portion 26 and the end of the stand permit the stand to be ro tated without rotating the automatic connect and disconnect apparatus 10 and its various fluid pressure conduits. When the stand S is in its elevated position, the grappling means 70 is supported within the cylinder 48 and its hoisting cable, including its exible Weights 92, is deviated past the traveling block 18.

After the stand S has been coupled to the previouslyrun stand, and prior to the testing of the stand, the testing operator who may be either at the oor level or on the platform 22 depending on Where the hoisting drum 102 and the sources of uid pressure 61 and 126 are located, then operates the hoisting drum 102 to lower the grappling hooks 82 downwardly through the body portion 26 and the stand S into the previously-run stand until the hooks 82 pass over the head 110 of the test tool 108 which is supported in the previously-run stand. The grappling means 70 is then raised so as to slide the testing tool 106 upwardly through the stand to be tested until the neck 110 of the testing tool is in the position shown in FIGURE 3 within the bore 32. When the testing tool 106 is in this position, the testing operator can then apply fluid under pressure from the source 126 through the conduit 124 into the testing tool to reset the packers 108, if the same are set by huid pressure,

and then to apply iluid to the space between the barriers set up by the packers.

Once the testing operation has been completed, and it is determined that the stand S has a satisfactory coupling joint to the previously-run stand and is leakproof, the testing operator then applies uid pressure from the source 61 through the conduit 60 into the cylinder 48. This causes the piston 52 to be extended into the cylinder and the ring nut 64, traveling with the piston,

has its camming surface 67 engage the leaf springs 84 to compress the same inwardly. This causes the hooks 82 to`be released from the head 110, and the connect and disconnect apparatus 24 then can be elevated off the end of the stand, and the stand along with the rest of the string can be lowered into the well. The procedure is then repeated with additional stands being attached and tested in sequence.

While the apparatus described above fully accomplishes the objects and advantages of the present invention, it is, of course, within the scope of the present invention that certain changes and modications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the terminology used in this specilisation is for the purpose of description and not for limitation, .as the scope of the `invention is delined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. For use in a well derrick having a crown block and a traveling block with an elevator supported immediately therebeneath for making rup tubing and lowering the same in a Well, av connect and disconnect apparatus for raising Ior lowering a tool within the well tubing comprising: a sheave supported on the derrick adjacent the crown block and oset with respecty to the traveling block, a hoisting cable passing over Vsaid sheave, an elongated exible Weight having one end attached to said hoisting cable and having a size capablelof insertion into the stand of Well tubing, said weight being capable of exing about the traveling block and including a plurality of elongated bars pivotally connected together, and grappling means supported on the other end of said weight or connecting and disconnecting tothe tool.

' 2. The connect and disconnect apparatus of claim 1 wherein` said elongated flexible weight counterbalances the weight of said cable when the grappling means is supported in rits uppermost position.

3. The connect and disconnect apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said bars has a length on the orderof seven feet and longer. f

4. The connect and4 disconnect apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said bars is rigid. Y

References Cited by theExaminer f UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,625,083 4/1927 Hymans 254`178 1,942,144 1/ 1934 Fuller 254,-,178 2,370,029 2/1945 GillespieV 254-185 2,775,306 12/'1956 Middleton 294-863 3,104,094 9/ 1 963 Lieml 254--145 HUGO O. SHULTZ, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Examiner.

H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. FOR USE IN A WELL DERRICK HAVING A CROWN BLOCK AND A TRAVELING BLOCK WITH AN ELEVATOR SUPPORTED IMMEDIATELY THEREBENEATH FOR MAKING UP TUBING AND LOWERING THE SAME IN A WELL, A CONNECT AND DISCONNECT APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR LOWERING A TOOL WITHIN THE WELL TUBING COMPRISING: A SHEAVE SUPPORTED ON THE DERRICK ADJACENT THE CROWN BLOCK AND OFFSET WITH RESPECT TO THE TRAVELING BLOCK, A HOISTING CABLE PASSING OVER SAID SHEAVE, AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE WEIGHT HAVING ONE END ATTACHED TO SAID HOISTING CABLE AND HAVING A SIZE CAPABLE OF INSERTION ITNO THE STAND OF WELL TUBING, SAID WEIGHT BEING CAPABLE OF FLEXING ABOUT THE TRAVELING BLOCK AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED BARS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TOGETHER, AND GRAPPLING MEANS SUPPORTED ON THE OTHER END OF SAID WEIGHT FOR CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING TO THE TOOL. 